HSK · Level 5
133 words
Chinese word
初次
Pronunciation
Pinyinchū cì
Meaning
- adverbfor the first time
Example
他初次来这儿，显得很紧张。tā chū cì lái zhèr xiǎn de hěn jǐn zhāng
He seems nervous when he comes here for the first time.
More examples
我初次使用这台机器，按照说明就能操作。wǒ chū cì shǐ yòng zhè tái jī qì àn zhào shuō míng jiù néng cāo zuò
I used this machine for the first time, and I could operate it by following the instructions.
Core concept
Marks an action or event as the first point in its sequence of occurrences.
Common phrases
初次体验chū cì tǐ yàn
experience for the first time
初次使用chū cì shǐ yòng
use for the first time
初次合作chū cì hé zuò
collaborate for the first time
Similar words
第一次dì yí cì: Marks an action or event as happening for the first time in everyday speech.
首次shǒu cì: Marks an action or event as happening for the first time in written or official language.
头一次tóu yí cì: Marks an action or event as happening for the first time in casual spoken language.
Definition in Chinese
表示某事在次数或顺序上是第一次发生，常用于“初次+动词/短语”。biǎo shì mǒu shì zài cì shù huò shùn xù shàng shì dì yí cì fā shēng cháng yòng yú chū cì dòng cí duán yǔ
Word origin
初次 (chūcì, "first time") combines 初 (chū, "beginning") + 次 (cì, "occurrence in a sequence"), joining beginning with sequence position to mean the first occurrence.
Usage tips
- Its tone is more formal than the most common everyday way to express the same idea, so it appears often in written or careful speech.